Fashion Friday: Cleaning Up My Beauty Act
I have slowly but surely been trying to incorporate more clean products into my beauty routine. And when I saw this article in JAMA this week about how it’s causing early puberty in kids that had pre-natal exposure to endocrine disruptors and I was inspired to try a bit harder to stick to cleaner products. So I’ve ordered some new stuff to expand on my current favorite items and thought I’d round them up for you here along with some items my team likes as well!
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I called out a few that I am really loving too:
- This Drunk Elephant Retinol product had people asking me what I was doing to my skin a week after I started using it. It REALLY works! Apparently it is STRONG though (according to the Sephora lady I spoke to), so if you have sensitive skin be careful with it. Also, I learned the hard way, NO WAXING when using this product. I lost half an eyelid– LOL.
- I really love this concealer– it’s light, and doesn’t crease, but still offers coverage and illumination.
- I really love all my Tammy Fender stuff- especially this cleanser (great if your skin skews a bit dry) and the Epi-Peel. Fast way to exfoliate and get a good glow!
One thing I have not found that I like is clean shampoo and conditioner, so leave a comment if you’ve found one you like!
Also, FYI, M. Flynn is offering readers a 10% off discount for Mother’s Day on my collection with them! Use code “GATESspring” at checkout. A few good ideas would be the ball locket, birthstone charm, Heirloom single diamond earrings or the diamond cuff!
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Erin – What color do you use in the Ethereal Veil concealer? It doesn’t look like I can go to a store to try it out and I think you and I have similar coloring. Thanks for the great post!
Love love love the Tammy Fender moisturizer and cleanser! Tried it after reading your post – thank you!
My biggest problem with so called natural products is that there are many natural things that are not good for you or your skin. Essential oils have no place in beauty products. Many of them add orange or lemon peel extract, both make your skin sun sensitive. Lavender oil is also irritating to the skin. So be careful with natural products.
I’ve really been liking the Beautycounter Volume & Shape shampoo. It’s highly concentrated so you only need a little and it lathers!
Feedback on the Lily Lolo eye shadow? Does it “stick” or is there a lot of transfer under eyes/on cheeks when applying? The palette looks perfect as far as shades, though.
It’s just a wonderful set of cosmetics. My colleague from the https://papercheap.co.uk/ company was presented with cosmetics from this collection for her birthday. She was simply delighted with the quality of the products and the effect after use.
So great you are making the switch! I did the same last year! I love Rahua shampoo and conditioner and also started to use True Botanicals and am also loving that also!
I don’t know if it’s clean, and now I am inclined to check, but I have used Kiehl’s Amino Acid shampoo and conditioner forever. I switch away, because I think I should?, then always come back. I buy huge pump bottles and a small travel size which I refill and reuse for travel, then Kiehl’s takes the big bottles back when done. The shampoo makes my hair feel clean but not dry, and conditioner is also light (I leave it on for a few minutes). I used to use the Formula 133, but it was disco’ed, but now is back; I haven’t purchased yet. Good luck, hope you find something that works!
Another vote for Rahua shampoo and conditioner. I have really long thick hair and i love it. Also agree with the previous comment about goop g.tox Himalayan salt scalp scrub. I use it once a week and love the results.
Drunk Elephant Babyfacial or Tammy Fender Epi – Peel (if i can only buy 1)?
Hmmmm, I like the Epi Peel A LOT.
Deodorant is a BIG deal as well. Real Purity Roll-on Deodorant was recommended to me by my nutritionist (who researches the hell out of everything). I really, really like it. It can be purchased on Amazon.
I love Rahua Shampoo and Conditioner – available at Follain. And, Retinol has some dangers to it – worth reading up on if you’re going to use it.
I mix corn starch or arrow root with cocoa powder (I’m a brunette like you). I use a Kabuki brush to lightly apply to roots and it absorbs oils like a dry shampoo. Super simple and inexpensive.
I’m in love with all things Beautycounter! I prefer their everyday shampoo and conditioner (color treated hair over here.). Rahua is on my list to try for haircare though too and I’m going to run back through these comments for other brands.
If you’re thinking about changes for your little guy – the Beautycounter kids line is great. My 5 year old boy likes his hair “spikey” so I got him the BC sea salt spray and it works well!
Don’t leave out toothpaste and oral care: Dr Brite products in this household. And then for your laundry is to please please remove dryer sheets!! Go to Whole Foods this weekend and pick up some wool dryer balls.
Clean shampoos and conditioners: True Botanicals, Rahua, Innersense, and 100% Pure. LOVE all of these!
Another vote for innersense! I started with the shampoo but now use the whole line and feel strongly that it’s changed my hair for the better. Give the shampoo a few uses before making up your mind as it’s totally different than conventional stuff.
I am allergic to a lot of chemicals and have been disappointed that a lot of products that market themselves as “clean and natural” still have a lot of these in them. I started using Pacifica shampoo and conditioner and I love it. I found it at Target after my go to shampoo changed their formula. I was happy to find something that wasn’t in the $25+ range! Acure didn’t work for my hair at all.
I’m a HUGE fan of beautycounter! I even became a consultant because I’m so impressed with the safety & quality of the products. We love the daily shampoo & conditioner.
I have crazy chemical allergies so I mostly have to use clean products across the board. For shampoo/conditioner I use a brand called Desert Essence. I buy it at a local store that is similar to a Whole Foods. Weleda is also very good and I have great luck with Korres brand items (even my dermatologist says they are good!) For makeup RMC or Jane Iredale are great. Kjaer Weiss is nice. A lot of Tarte brand products are fairly clean too. For skin care you can never go wrong with Tata Harper. I haven’t met anything of here I didn’t like. May Lindstrom has decadent skincare and Aesop is good too. My go to during rosacea flare ups is MV Organic. A lot of people like Pai Skincare too. I recommend looking at DetoxMarket.com they carry almost all of these.
Josh Rosebrook and Rahua have great hair lines. I had a hard time switching but stayed persistent and am so happy with results. You should see if you can get a clean consult at Follain. They can match you to everything you need.
I love BrioGeo shampoo and conditioner!
Have you tried Rahua shampoo + conditioner? Great stuff. And I love all my Naturopathica clean skin care.
Researched hair color and shampoos and conditions. Can purchase her findings – excellent research on what is and what isn’t clean and why.
Also, a wonderful free app “Think Dirty” to look up products you’re using or think are clean.
irina@ireadlabelsforyou.com
Great post! Thanks for sharing. I use the Healthy Living app on my phone to check if products are clean, so I highly recommend that. Kourtney Kardashian’s new website, Poosh, has a load of great options for clean beauty and household products. In a pinch, creamed or manuka honey is a great face wash, apple cider vinegar makes a great toner, and coconut oil is a wonderful antibacterial moisturizer. I know it is weird, but the more single ingredient products I’ve used, the better my skin and hair look.
Davines
I don’t know how I found you but I am so glad I did. (It may have been pinterest)
Try Surface or Loma for clean shampoo and conditioner! It’s a bit pricey, but worth it! Like you did a few years ago, I am going through fertility treatments and one of the things I’ve done to naturally help my body is change to clean beauty and makeup. Shampoo and Conditioner was SOO hard to find (and deodorant–I swear by Earth Mama though!) and I love Surface and Loma. Loma is aloe vera based so it has natural heat protectant too!
I also love Loma for shampoo and conditioner. My hairdresser suggested it a few years ago and I have loved it ever since. I like the Nourishing versions. The Moisturizing version I find too heavy.
Can anyone recommend a product for dry scalp? I’ve struggled with it for years, and recently I noticed a few friends have the same issue (ugh, those annoying flakes!). I occasionally use a leave-in oil that my dr prescribed, but I have to imagine that it’s full of nasty chemicals and it’s a pain to use. Wondering if there’s anything else out there that works. Suggestions?
Moogoo shampoo and conditioner
It’s brilliant for dry scalp and smells yummy
They also make an eczema cream that’s better than anything ever for babies
I love moogoo
Nancy – I have dermatitis on my scalp and have just purchased Christophe Robin’s purifying scalp scrub with sea salt. His products are on the cleaner side and I am excited to try them. He recommends a scalp scrub and moisterizing conditioner on ends only. We shall see…
Gray – thank you for the input. I read through all of the comments on this post and ended up buying the Goop Himalayan salt scrub. The reviews on that said the scrub is good for dry scalp, and now that you’ve reiterated the recommendation for a salt scrub, I’m optimistic! I’ll report back once I receive it and use it a few times. By the way one of the salt scrub reviews I read said to make sure the salt is fully dissolved on the scalp before rinsing, otherwise the salt crystals will later flake and look like dandruff. Not a good look!
I’ve started using apple cider vinegar once a week this winter for dry scalp & it helped a lot!
Thank you!
Switching to natural shampoo cured me of it. I use Josh Rosebrook Balance and Rahua color conditioner.
Thank you for the suggestions!
On a related skin care issue; anybody have any feedback about microneedling rollers? I’m just starting to try that out (aging skin, need more collagen production). And if you do this, what kind of skin treatment afterwards? Moisturizer? Serum? Both?
I love my microneedling roller. I use it nightly before I apply my vitamin C serum (drunk elephant), followed by Vintner’s Daughter. It definitely helps my serums soak into my skin more quickly, so they don’t just sit on a the surface. If my skin is really dry, then I follow with a moisturizer (first aid beauty). Highly recommended.
Thanks for the tips. I’ll look into the serums you’ve suggested.
While not directly branded as “clean” Chantecaille has removed phthalates and a bunch of other nasties from their products. I find their tinted moisturizer to be hands down better than Vapour and BeautyCounter, so are their eye shadows. I tried several different foundations/tinted moisturizers from Follain unsuccessfully before realizing that Chantecaille’s stuff was actually super clean. Read here: https://chantecaille.com/pages/our-story
This is great to know. I love chantecaille but stopped using a decade ago when I Greened the routine
Curious what you thought about Vintner’s Daughter. I don’t see it here. I use it but I seem to like it for awhile and then I am not sure for the price if it’s worth it.
Turns out I was really allergic to it, which is odd because I do not have sensitive skin and rarely have allergic reactions to anything!
I love Vapour make up products. There primer is also really illuminating and nice.
I am using RAW Biolage. It’s not perfect but gets rid of the parafins.
I really think it was you, who years ago mentioned a One Love Organics product. I tried them and have loved them ever since. They are amazing, good for your skin, and good for the earth. My favorite project is their Vitamin B cleansing oil, but I have enjoyed pretty much everything I have tried. I use their Vitamin D spray and their Vitamin C serum every day. So much love and respect for this company. http://www.oneloveorganics.com
Clearly, you’ve been to Follain near Fenway! I applaud you for trying to change over to healthier products. I swear by Beautycounter makeup, Tata Harper skin care and Pure Haven Essentials hair care. PHE also carries home cleaning products. One other source for cleaning is a Made in Mass company: Force of Nature.
Great post, thanks for sharing!
I haven’t tried them yet but I’ve heard great things about Lush bar shampoo and conditioner. Healthier product, supposedly works great and NO plastic package! A lot of ladies I know are experimenting with them.
Plaine Products are great – and the packaging is wonderful (no plastic and you return the used bottles). Also, take a look at Crunchi makeup – I work with a wonderful advocate there if you want more information. Totally clean and they are amazing!
You may want to try the Monat line for hair products. I love mine for my fine/thin hair, but they have products that target a wide range of hair types. I buy mine through a friend, but I think you can buy direct from the website as well.
I’ve had good luck with John Masters Organics shampoo and conditioner!
Their Avocado Lavendar Conditioner is Amazing, but spendy.
Acure shampoo and conditioner are great! They’re the only clean shampoo/conditioner that I’ve found that work well.
I was going to leave the exact same comment! Another vote for Acure. I find that leaving the conditioner in for a few minutes before rinsing it out makes a big difference.
Young Living Essential Oils Lavender Mint or Copaiba Shampoo and Conditioners. They are amazing. The whole company develops clean products, as well as makeup. Go to my link: myyl/janinegregory.com. It will take you to the main website and you can get a Premium Starter Kit with oils, or the thieves cleaner line, which is great since you have a baby and pets. All of Young Living is free of harsh chemicals! Let me know if you have any questions about it, I’d be happy to answer! I am also an interior designer and really try to promote holistic design and living.
Acure is available at thrivemarket.com
Agree on Acure for hair care and I also use Goop’s G.TOX Himalayan salt scrub shampoo once a week to really clean my scalp and it is magic!